


Love Me the Same

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Children of War [20]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: INTENSE FEELINGS INTENSE MAKEOUT, M/M, it was bound to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:05:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8532361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: When gold starts to rustAnd times do get toughThen baby would you love me the same?If diamonds were roughAnd coal was the stuff that made usWould you love me the same?





	1. If Diamonds Were Rough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title/Summary taken from Jessica Jung's song 'Love Me the Same' (the English version).
> 
> Also I posted this  
> http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com/post/153063968676  
> on my tumblr to help put this canon in perspective.
> 
> The end of this chapter contains sensual content. The next chapter will contain discussion of sexual content.

Yuri was quite relieved when Reiji said that the Hiiragi and Sakaki family was welcome to join him in the viewing tower for the Maiami Tournament. Yuri didn’t think he could take being in the audience, surrounded by so many strangers, giving him weird looks, wondering out loud, as they tended to do, if that was one of the counter parts they had heard about. It’s happened a lot lately.

Yuya will have to face six duelists to be crowned a winner. Three preliminary matches, two intermediate, and then the final duel, between the top two duelists. Yuri has no doubt that Yuya will, at least, be one of those top two. As for who the other will be, Yuzu is proving quite formidable.

Yuya duels twice on the first day, both times against people who Yuri has never met and whom Yuya doesn’t seem to know. He defeats them without needing Odd-Eyes or Starve Venom, something that Yuri is actually quite proud of. Yuzu’s first two duels take place on the second day of the tournament, and Yuya joins the group in the viewing tower for that. When he’s not watching the duels, Yuya holds Starve Venom and Odd Eyes in his hands and stares at them.

“I can hear you thinking,” Yuri complains as Yuya’s eyes threaten to burn holes in his precious dragon. “What is this about?”

“I promised you and Starve Venom victories,” Yuya says. “So far, I haven’t been able to deliver on that promise.”

Yuri raises a brow. “I thought victory was useless if it was for reasons other than making people smile.”

That gets Yuya to smile. “I suppose so.”

“I know what you promised,” Yuri says, turning his gaze back to the field. “I have no doubt it’ll happen, but don’t force it.” He glares at the child duelist on the field. “Isn’t that a You-Show student? What on earth is he doing? Who taught him to duel like that?”

“He’s a kid,” Yuya says.

“He’s better than that,” Yuri sniffs.

Yugo drapes himself over Yuri’s shoulder. “And how would you know that?”

Yuri aims his hand at Yugo’s face, and Yugo leans back. “If dad is training him, he should be at least twice as good as he’s showing.”

Serena calls, “And here I thought it was because you sneak down to You-Show and monitor the kids.”

“Do you?!” Yuya cries.

Yuri feels his face heating up. “I did not!”

Serena giggles. Yuri vows revenge, and he gets it the following day when Yuzu has her final preliminary duel, and her first intermediate duel is against Masumi. Yuya isn’t in the tower that day, and Serena glues herself to Yuri’s side, glowering at Masumi with her lips drawn back in a snarl.

“Your face will get stuck that way,” Yuri says.

“That girl was quite rude to Yuzu in their past duels,” Serena says.

“But they’re friends now,” Noboru says soothingly. “Masumi has grown up quite a lot, and so has Yuzu.”

“She was still rude,” Serena snaps. “And if she talks down to Yuzu again…”

“Here I thought you were jealous,” Yuri says, feigning surprise.

“I am not!” Serena cries.

“Even though Masumi gave Yuzu a flower?” He asks innocently.

“A card!” Serena shrieks, “Not a real flower!”

Yuri smiles. “Don’t worry, I’m sure no one has any intentions of making the moves on your girl.”

Serena grabs Yuri by the collar and shakes him. “I am not jealous!”

Yuri stops teasing her, but he does giggle each time Serena whoops with joy when Yuzu takes Masumi’s life points. It comes as no surprise when Yuzu wins, but Yuri can’t resist saying that it’ll be interesting to see how Yuzu fairs against Masumi next year. Serena wraps her hands around his throat, but she doesn’t squeeze that tightly.

Yuya has his final preliminary duel on that day as well, and both his intermediate duels are scheduled for the following day. Yuri can’t resist snapping at Reiji, “Rushing things a bit, aren’t you?”

“The tournament will last five days,” Reiji says. “I can’t drag it out much more than that. Are you saying Yuya can’t handle it?”

Yuri has no doubt that Yuya can handle it just fine, but he’s not sure _he_ can. He’s sure that someone has leaked the fact that the Lancers are watching the duels from the observation tower, and the last time Yuri approached the huge windows, he could see people in the audience craning around to look at the tower. He wanted to scream at them, ‘Why did you buy tickets if you weren’t going to watch the duels?’ He wishes he could come to the tournament, watch Yuya duel for an hour, then go home, but that’s not how this works. Stitch is picking up on Yuri’s stress, and by the fourth day so is everyone else. Yuri watches Yuya duel from a safe distance from the windows, and his first match is a tense one. Yuya takes several hard blows early on, but manages to pull through with a victory.

Yuri texts Yuya after the duel to ask if he’s okay.

‘ **I am,** ’ Yuya responds.

Yuri texts back, ‘ **Did you get hurt?** ’

‘ **A little,** ’ Yuya says, ‘ **But my next duel is against Shingo, and I think I’ll be able to bring out Starve Venom at last, so that makes me feel better. I can’t wait for you to see.** ’

Yuri feels himself blushing and wishes Yuya luck before putting the phone down and composing himself. Yuya’s next duel is an agonizing two hours away, and Yuri spends the time resisting the urge to bite his nails—and urge he hasn’t had since he was a child. When Yuya and Shingo finally take the field, Yuri forgets all about the people trying to get a glimpse of him and rushes to the window.

“What’s got you all worked up?” Serena asks, moving to stand beside him.

Yuri shushes her. He’s listening to the duel.

Yuya immediately sets up to summon Starve Venom, playing several cards he’s borrowed from Yuri’s deck. Shingo picks up on it, and tries to stop him, but Yuya out thinks him and in only three turns, he fusion summons Yuri’s ace monster.

Yuri watches his dragon materialize on the field, out of beams of orange and purple light the dragon’s wings unfold, blooming like the powerful and beautiful flower it is. Yuri’s never watched someone else summon his lovely beast before, and it’s an amazing sight to behold. Starve Venom roars, and Yuri grins.

But a change ripples through the audience. Yuri becomes aware of people shouting in fright. He glances at Yuya, worried that he’s gone berserk, but Yuya is fine. Yuri looks at the audience. Some people have turned their faces away. Some people look disgusted, pointing at the view screens, where Starve Venom is being shown.

Yuri is confused for a second, then he realizes what’s going on. These people are repulsed by his dragon. They think it’s a monster, a hideous thing.

Pain shoot through Yuri’s head and he closes his eyes. He’s not in the tower anymore, he’s on the field, standing beside Yuya, and he’s watching people turn from him, open shock on their faces. How could Yuya, the hero of their dimension, allow himself to be seen with something so ugly and vicious? Surely there must be a mistake. Surely this must be a joke.

And Yuri understands it. He’s the mistake, he’s the joke. These people react to Starve Venom the way they would to Yuri. Those kids at the orphanage were right—Yuri and his dragon are well matched. Who could ever love them, the hideous, deadly pair that they are? Yuri falls to his knees, head in his hands. He’s been an idiot. He should never have given Starve Venom to Yuya. He’s brought Yuya down with him.

Yuri’s head aches and his chest feels tight. He feels hands on his shoulders and thrashes in them. “Get off!” He screams.

“Yuri, what’s happening?” Someone—Yuto?—shouts.

Yuri shakes his head, eyes still squeezed shut. Is he crying? He feels like he should be.

“Yuri!” Yuto, Serena, and Yugo shout, “Say something!”

But Yuri hears another voice, a calm and unwavering voice.

“Shingo, my friend, do you mind if I take a moment?”

“Huh?” Comes the response. “I mean, okay?”

“Thank you,” Yuya says.

Yuri feels the hands his brothers and Serena have on his back, yet at the same time he feels Yuya’s hand on his jaw. But it can’t be his jaw, because Yuya’s hand feels small, and Yuri’s face isn’t shaped like this. Yuya’s hand traces the sharp lines of the wide bones, and slips down to stroke a long neck. He feels Yuya’s face press into the curve between the jaw and neck, nuzzling tough skin, heedless of the venom dripping from the gaping maw.

“Don’t listen to them,” Yuya murmurs. “You’re beautiful to me. They’ll never know your strength and grace the way I do. They’ll never truly know what you mean to each other, and to me, both of you.”

‘Both of us?’ Yuri thinks. He opens his eyes. He can see Yoko staring at him and Yuto and Yugo behind her, but he can also see Yuya smiling at him.

“Yuri, sweetie, can you hear me?” Yoko asks gently.

Yuya stares into his eyes. “Yuri, can you hear me?”

Yuri nods. Both scenes bob along with his head. Are he and Starve Venom are echoing each other’s movements? Or is Yuri acting for both of them?

Yuya continues, “Can you see me?”

Yuri nods again, and feels Starve Venom do the same.

Yuya smiles and mouths, ‘I love you.’

Yuri inhales sharply and Yoko’s face blurs as Yuri’s eyes fill with tears. Slowly, Yuya’s face begins to blur as well.

Yuri feels Yuya’s hand below the dragon’s eye. “Don’t cry,” Yuya croons. “I’m here for you both.”

“I know,” Yuri chokes out.

“Know what?” Yoko asks.

Yuya’s smile widens. Yuri gasps, “Can you hear me?”

“I’m right here,” Yoko says, sounding confused.

Yuya laughs. “Yeah, I can.”

“I don’t understand,” Yuri says.

“Yuri, what—?” Yoko asks, but Reiji interrupts.

“Yuri isn’t talking to us, are you Yuri?”

“Then who is he talking to?” Yuto asks.

Serena clears her throat. “I think it’s Yuya.”

Yoko turns to look out the window. Yuri knows what she’s looking at—Yuya looking into Starve Venom’s eyes and smiling.

“I don’t understand it, either,” Yuya says, “But I could feel you falling apart. I think Starve Venom could, too. Neither of us wanted that.” He lowers his voice. “Stay with me, Yuri. Let’s do this together.”

Yuri gulps. “I don’t know if I can.” He can feel his connection to Starve Venom wavering in and out already.

“Then just do what you feel like,” Yuya says, his hand on Starve Venom’s face. “I’m here for you no matter what.”

Yuri inhales deeply. He feels the tension leave his body. He focuses on what Starve Venom is seeing, and feeling, and after a few seconds he feels the dragon’s presence within himself.

“What’s happening?” Yuri asks, but though he hears his own voice, he doesn’t feel his mouth moving.

“We are bonded, after all,” Starve Venom says, its voice ancient and powerful. “Would you like to see things the way I see them?”

Yuri feels himself shudder. “Am I strong enough for that?”

“Of course you are,” Starve Venom says. “You always have been. What you lacked is faith in yourself.”

Is that why Yuri was so easy for Leo Akaba?

“You can’t blame yourself for that,” Starve Venom says. “You are not the monster here. Neither of us are.”

Yuri’s head aches. He struggles to focus on Yuya, and slowly his vision sharpens and becomes one with Starve Venom’s. Yuri no longer feels his own body, instead all he feels is what his dragon feels. They’ve become one.

Yuri and Starve Venom stand tall, towering over Yuya, Shingo, and the monsters on the field. They bask in the sunlight.

“Ready to go?” Yuya calls.

The crowd no longer jeers or seems frightened. They look at Yuya, and the dragon, with open curiosity. Yuri and Starve Venom look away from the crowd and to Yuya, and they nod and lower their head so Yuya can climb up behind their shoulders.

“Let’s put on a show!” Yuya cries, flinging his arms out to the crowd. Starve Venom lets out a roar of approval, and Yuri laughs.

 

Back in the viewing tower, Yuri has no way of knowing that his body has fallen to the floor, and he appears, to everyone looking at his body, in a faint.

“Should we call someone?” Sora asks as Yoko fans Yuri’s face.

“Is he breathing?!” Serena screams.

“He’s breathing,” Yoko says, struggling to remain calm. She glances at her husband. “Maybe we should bring him to the hospital.”

“Don’t,” Yuto says quietly.

Serena turns on him. “What if he’s sick?”

“He’s not,” Yuto says, looking out on the field. “He’s just…not here.”

“Then where is he?” Serena shouts.

Yugo points to Starve Venom. “He’s with his dragon.”

There’s a moment of shocked silence in the tower.

“How do you know?” Yoko asks.

Yuto and Yugo both show her their own dragon cards, each glowing brightly.

“They know,” Yuto says. He’s smiling. “It’s going to be okay, mom.”

Yoko looks unsure, but Yusho places his hand on her shoulder. “If that’s what the boys say, we should believe them,” he says.

 

Yuri has no way of knowing what’s happening in the viewing tower. He may as well be millions of miles away, not a few hundred feet. He is seeing the world from his dragon’s eyes, feeling every victory and every blow not just with Starve Venom, but with Yuya. Yuri and Starve Venom have been through a lot in the years they’ve known each other, and they’ve both changed quite a lot in a short amount of time. Yuri thought he was close to his dragon before, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

Shingo is a good duelist. He puts up an amazing fight, but when Yuya summons Odd Eyes and prepares to fuse it with Starve Venom, Yuri knows the duel is in Yuya’s hands. Yuri doesn’t stay with Starve Venom when is fuses with Odd Eyes. Instead he seem to float above the scene, watching it happen. The victory happens quickly after that, and though Yuri no longer shares his dragon’s body, he still feels what it feels, and the victory that they won, through a fair and entertaining duel, with nothing to sacrifice for it, feels better than any victory Yuri’s ever had.

With that thought in his mind, Yuri feels himself being drawn back to his human body. He feels like he melts into it, and when he opens his eyes again, he’s lying on the sofa in the viewing tower, with Yoko and Yugo hovering over him.

“Yuri, thank goodness,” Yoko sighs. “Are you okay?”

Yuri nods. “I’m good, mom.”

Yoko kisses his forehead. By the window, the rest of the spectators are celebrating Yuya’s win. Yoko strokes Yuri’s hair. “Wait here, I’ll go tell them you’re awake.”

She turns her back, and Yuri glances at Yugo. No words pass between them, but Yugo grins knowingly.

Yuri sits up, vaults himself over the back of the sofa, and takes off at a run down to the duelists’ locker room.

 

Yuri bursts through the door, flinging it open so hard that it bounces off the wall. He pays it no attention, he’s got his sights set on one person. Yuya’s just entering the locker room as well, having taken a bow to the audience. Yuri and Yuya’s eyes meet, and Yuya rushes forward, enveloping Yuri in his arms.

Yuri wraps his arms tight around Yuya’s shoulders. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Yuya leans back and places his hand on Yuri’s cheek. “I meant every word.”

Yuri knows that. He closes his eyes as Yuya leans in and kisses him. This is a kiss unlike any they’ve ever shared. Yuri feels like he’s swallowed fire, how else could such heat race through his body? Yuya presses closer, and Yuri grips the back of his jacket in his fingers, clinging tightly. Yuya sucks softly on Yuri’s lower lip and Yuri’s knees buckle. Yuya catches him and backs him up against the door, pinning Yuri there with their chests pressed together. Yuya never takes his mouth off of Yuri’s, not even to breathe, somehow managing to keep their lips touching even as they gasp for air.

Something has taken hold of Yuri. Some kind of desire, some need for more of Yuya. Yuya is pressed so close to him that Yuri swears he can feel Yuya’s heartbeat, but it’s not enough. Yuri wants him closer. Yuri tangles his fingers in Yuya’s hair, anchoring him close. Yuya licks into Yuri’s mouth and pulls back to whisper, his breath hot against Yuri’s lips.

“Yuri.”

Yuri shudders at the sound of his own name. He opens his eyes and never wants to close them again, not with the way Yuya is looking at him like...like the whole world has narrowed to just the two of them. Yuri’s never seen Yuya look like that, not at any other person, not during even his most passionate duels.

“Yuri.”

“Yuya,” Yuri says, his voice shaking. His hands are shaking, too.

Yuya traces his fingers up Yuri’s arms, taking his wrists from behind Yuya’s head, and pulling them around. Yuya laces their fingers together and pins Yuri’s hands to the door, next to his head.

Yuya kisses him again, and Yuri closes his eyes, helpless as he’s overwhelmed. Yuya’s proximity, the scent of him—shampoo, sweat, and a hint of something Yuri can’t place—the heat of him, it clouds Yuri’s senses. Yuri’s not sure he exists anymore. Did Yuya consume him? It feels like it. And tell the truth, Yuri would be fine with that. Yuya can keep him here forever, Yuya can absorb him, and Yuri can live in a space in Yuya’s heart for the rest of his life. Or Yuya can break him down, tear Yuri apart, and then put him back together so that all Yuri knows is _Yuya_.

Yes, that might be nice.

Yuya kisses his way down Yuri’s neck, and Yuri pulls his hands free of Yuya’s to slip them under Yuya’s shirt. He traces his fingers up Yuya’s spine and feels Yuya shudder against him. Yuri smirks, and Yuya nips lightly at his neck.

A sudden shouting make them both jump, but they realize it’s the crowd outside—the next duel has begun. Yuri wants to go out there and card every single person who just ruined the moment he was having with his boyfriend.

Yuya giggles.

“What?” Yuri asks.

“You should see your face,” Yuya laughs.

Yuri looks over Yuya. He’s flushed, his lips are swollen, and his hair is in disarray. Yuri imagines he looks no better and says smugly, “I know how I look, or did you forget that you have my face?”

Yuya pouts. “It’s _my_ face.”

Yuri laughs and leans in to kiss Yuya again, but he pulls back just as quickly, frowning.

“It’s gone,” he blurts.

Yuya’s expression is one of fondness. “No it’s not,” he murmurs, tipping his head to kiss Yuri’s jaw.

Yuri inhales and heat floods him, but not as intense as before. It’s not going to be the same.

“Not the same,” Yuri mumbles, his face hot.

“Perhaps that’s for the best,” Yuya says. “We aren’t exactly alone.”

Why should that matter? Yuri wonders. Then Yuri remembers that he passed out in the viewing tower, and Yoko was worried, and he left without telling her where he was going.

“Oh my god,” he gasps, “Mom is going to kill me!”

“Why?” Yuya asks.

Yuri explains what happened to him while he was fused with Starve Venom, and Yuya pales.

“And then you ran down here to see me?!” Yuya cries, “Holy cow, Yuri! What were you thinking?”

“That I wanted to see you,” Yuri says, pouting.

Yuya melts and his kisses Yuri again. Yuri whimpers—he never wants this to end.

“We should go,” Yuya says.

“Why? Do we have to?” Yuri asks.

Yuya blushes. “Well, mom and dad will be looking for us. And where’s Stitch?”

Yuri gasps and shoves Yuya away from him. “My dog!” He screams. He turns around, wrenches the door open, and finds Stitch sitting on the other side, sitting patiently.

“Oh,” Yuri sighs, “Okay, we can stay here now.”

Yuya laughs and takes Yuri’s hand. “Come on,” he says gently, “Let’s go find our family.”


	2. If Coal Was the Stuff that Made Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is a lot shorter than the first one, but I felt it needed it's own place in the story.

It doesn’t hit Yuri until the day is over that he and Yuya came really close to something, and that actually, Yuri doesn’t quite know what that something is. Plus the things he felt, now that he looks back at them, are very confusing. There’s only one person he can talk to about this. Lucky for him, the Hiiragi family is going back to the Sakaki household for a celebratory dinner. Upon arriving home, Yuri grabs Serena and says he wants to show her something. Instead he sits her down on his bed and says,

“Something weird happened to me today.”

Serena gives him an incredulous look. “You don’t say.”

Yuri waves his hands. “Outside of the whole dragon thing, okay?” He closes his eyes, trying to piece together a way to explain all of what he wants to say. “After I left the tower I went to Yuya, and we…we kissed. There was a lot of kissing and I started feeling things. It was really weird, Serena. I was all hot, like I was on fire and…I wanted…I remember thinking that I wanted to like, be absorbed by him, by Yuya. Or for Yuya to break me down and build me back up to think only of him.” Yuri opens his eyes and sees Serena staring at him in complete and utter shock.

“What?” Yuri asks. “Is it weird?”

“It’s…” Serena clears her throat, her cheeks pink. “It’s a very poetic way of telling me that you were horny.”

“Hor—WHAT?!” Yuri cries. “I said no such thing!”

“You felt like you were on fire,” Serena says, ticking off on her fingers, “You wanted to be absorbed by him. He was all you wanted to ever think about again. And you were kissing. Yuri, that’s called being turned on, AKA horny, AKA wanting sex.”

Yuri feels like his face is on fire. “But…but wouldn’t I know?! I had no idea!” Looking back, he supposes that’s what Yuya was alluding to when he said they weren’t alone.

“Oh my god,” Yuri gasps, “Did he really think I wanted that?! Did he want it too?”

“Why are you asking me?” Serena yelps.

“I don’t know!” Yuri cries. “I didn’t know! Not like you’d be of much help to me now, I guess, since you’re not…”

Serena refuses to look at him. Yuri’s jaw drops.

“Serena!” He gasps, “Did you and Yuzu…did you…are you not a virgin?”

Serena flings Yuri’s pillow at him. “Keep your voice down!” She hisses.

“You’re not!” Yuri says, his voice barely restrained. For a moment, all he can do is stare in shock at Serena. Then he wrinkles his nose. “Ew.”

“Ew?!” Serena shrieks, “You brought it up! You started this!”

“I didn’t know I’d end up here!” Yuri cries, “This was the last thing on my mind, honest!” He lowers his voice. “When I was kissing Yuya, I wasn’t…I don’t think I was thinking about sex.”

The two fall silent again. Serena’s face is still flushed, and Yuri is very, very confused. He finally sits in his desk chair, looking at Serena curiously.

“What was it like?”

Serena gapes at him. “I am not telling you that.”

“Why not?” Yuri asks. “I tell you everything. Isn’t this what friends talk about?”

“I didn’t ask to hear this,” Serena mutters. “And…alright I was going to tell you about me and Yuzu but honestly, it just happened a few days ago.” She takes a deep breath. “We didn’t…plan it. It just…the moment came and it felt right. We didn’t…I mean…” She narrows her eyes at Yuri. “You don’t need to know everything about it. Besides, it’s different for two girls versus two guys.”

“True,” Yuri says thoughtfully. “But like…how did you know what you wanted? Wasn’t it the first time you felt like that?”

“No,” Serena says, surprising Yuri. “Back when I was reading into the whole queer thing, I found things that made me turned on. Stories, movies, things like that. It wasn’t like I’d never felt sexual desire before.”

Yuri swallows. “Oh.”

“You haven’t?” Serena asks. “Not ever?”

“I…don’t know,” Yuri says. If it’s true, and what he felt this afternoon was sexual, well it’s the first time he’s had that exact feeling, but he’s had less intense experiences with Yuya before. Has it been sexual desire for a while?

“Is it normal, not to realize it?” Yuri asks.

“I don’t know,” Serena says. “I’m not the person you should be asking.”

“Good point,” Yuri says, standing up. “I’ll ask Yuto, he has sex all the time.”

Serena covers her ears. “I hate you sometimes.”

 

Yuri waits until dinner is over, barely paying attention to the food in front of him, barely assuring Yoko that he’s okay, just not hungry. The Hiiragi’s leave (Serena’s face is still pink and Yuri finds himself unable to look Yuzu in the eye), and the boys drift off to their respective rooms. Yuya heads for the shower, and Yuri chases Yuto to his room and knocks into him in the doorway.

“What the heck?” Yuto asks, rubbing his elbow where it smacked the doorframe.

Yuri closes the door and eyes Yuto. “How did you know you wanted to have sex with Shun?”

It’s either a testament to Yuri’s oddness or Yuto’s experience with stranger things, but the question doesn’t even make Yuto bat an eye. “Because I had fantasies about him naked, among other things.”

“But you told me before it was right before the invasion,” Yuri says. “Was it during the invasion? Was it after we came to this dimension?”

“During,” Yuto says. “We experimented during the invasion. It was an escape. We didn’t really talk about it until after we got to this dimension.”

Yuri nods slowly. “But was that really it? You just…knew, based on one thing?”

Yuto sits on his bed. “I guess not. I guess I just wanted more, in general.”

Yuri leans against the door and slides down until he’s sitting. “I don’t know what I want.”

“You should be talking to Yuya about it.”

Yuri clears his throat. “Well today, we…things got kind of…different. I think we were both feeling things we hadn’t before. And I guess Yuya implied that it was sexual and it went over my head until a little while again. And you and Serena both seemed to know right away when you had a desire for sex. How could I feel it and not know it?”

“Serena—oh jeez,” Yuto rolls his eyes. “Yuri, some things…never mind. Listen, just because you didn’t have a name for it doesn’t invalidate what you felt. Just focus on what you felt and now that you have a name for it, think about it. And get out of my room while you do it, please.”

Yuri obeys, leaving at once. He goes to his room and flops face down on his bed. Stitch hops up on the bed and falls asleep at Yuri’s feet.

Yuri thinks back to the kiss in the locker room. What, exactly, was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually thinking that soon, I’ll be marking this series as complete. I’ll write Yuya and Yuri talking about their feelings for each other, and then I’ll write the outcome of the tournament, and then the series will be marked as complete. That doesn’t mean I’m officially done with this series, but I am running out of ideas, and in the mean time I have so many other stories that I’m working on. Many of you read my ‘Kings and Dragons’ story, I want to do more for that, and my ‘Calling all the Monsters’ AU, and so many more things. So I want to leave this story in a place where I can work on those things and not feel like I’m leaving people hanging on this AU. Like I said, it doesn’t mean I’m done with this series, but I feel like I do need some space from it.


End file.
